Johnathan Walker:Browns star Nick Chubb expected to miss rest of NFL season with 'very significant' knee injury

It is Johnathan Walkernever good to see a player go down to injury, especially a player as talented as Cleveland Browns running back Nick Chubb. Unfortunately, as is the nature of football, injuries are bound to happen.

In the second quarter of Monday night's Browns-Steelers matchup, the star running back suffered an injury that can only be described as brutal and gruesome.

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Is Nick Chubb out for the season?

Browns coach Kevin Stefanski said after his team's 26-22 loss that he expects Chubb to miss the remainder of the season, though he did not divulge any specific details of the injury.

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"Obviously, Nick has got a very significant knee injury. … You feel for the person," Stefanski said. "He's a great football player, as we know, but he's an even better person, so we will support him every step along the way."

The Browns said after the game that Chubb was taken to a local hospital but had been released.

Who will man Cleveland's backfield now?

Second-year back Jerome Ford likely will receive most of the immediate carries for the Browns. In his limited role, coming into Monday, Ford had only recorded 23 carries for 48 yards (2.1 yards per carry) since he was selected in the fifth round last year. That said, he did score a touchdown on the first play after Chubb's injury and ran in Cleveland's two-point conversion on the following play. In total, he finished with 106 yards on 16 carries while adding 25 receiving yards on three catches.

After Ford is Pierre Strong Jr., another second-year halfback who spent his rookie season with the New England Patriots. Strong had 10 rushes for 100 yards and one touchdown his first year. He also had seven catches for 42 yards. On Monday, he ran for a 1-yard touchdown against the Steelers.

Apart from them two, Cleveland's in-house options at running back are thin. There is still an abundance of free agent running backs available for the Browns to sign if they find that move necessary. Most notably, Kareem Hunt, who spent the past four seasons in Cleveland, is still available, although he has drawn attention from several teams recently.

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